Natural Ways to Get Rid of Body Odor
Your body’s natural musk can become an embarrassing odor, stinky, especially if you’re sweating. Otherwise, you may have absorbed some smells throughout the day (smoking, cooking, pollution) or have eaten strong-smelling foods whose odors have taken up residence on your person. No matter what the source nor what level of offense you are at, there are several ways to be rid of the problem.
You see, many products exist to remove or cover-up body odor. However, most of these products are not very good for the body nor the environment. Things to stay away from include aerosol sprays, deodorants containing aluminum, and products that were tested on animals. Smelling pleasant without smelling chemically enhanced is not only possible, but is probably something everyone should participate in to keep our bodies and planet healthy.
First, check the Environmental Working Group website (www.ewg.org) to make sure the products you want to use are safe for the environment or, at least, green-friendly.
Shower or bathe in tepid to warm water at least once a day with a natural soap such as lavender or peppermint. It may be necessary to bathe more often in warmer weather when body odor is caused by unevaporated sweat and oils on your skin. When personal hygiene is neglected, it’s noticeable by yourself and others.
Try to keep your hair clean. Sweat mixes with oils and sebum on your scalp, causing a bitter odor. If you don’t want to spend a lot of money on natural products, find a sulfate-free soap that works for both hair and body. Otherwise, you always have the option of making your own. By mixing 1 tablespoon of baking soda with some water, you can make a paste to massage all over your scalp and hair. The massage will stimulate blood flow, remove and loosen build-up of dry skin and oils, and remove grit from the pores. Rinse out the mixture, then rinse again with a blend of two tablespoons of apple cider vinegar and a cup of water. The apple cider vinegar will soften the hair as well as remove odor-causing bacteria. Luckily, this natural shampoo is approved for all hair types, and if you have trouble with frizziness, a little bit of honey in the baking soda paste will keep your hair tamed and smelling sweet.
After bathing, shave your underarms so your deodorant can do its job. Odor-causing bacterias tend to dwell in underarm hair, shaving reduces the area in which they can survive. Feel free to apply your deodorant twice a day if you feel you need it.
Speaking of which, brush your teeth as often as you like. Try not to brush immediately after eating or immediately before and chew sugarless gum between meals when it’s inconvenient to brush
Natural deodorants can be easy to find, but you can make your own by rubbing a slice of lemon on your armpits and then dusting the area with baking soda. The acid in the lemon restricts the pores so you sweat less as well as removes some bacteria, the baking soda is absorbent and will control sweat secretions. Witch hazel is another option for this, rather than lemon, but it is more harsh-smelling at first.
Another way to cut down body odor is to change your diet a little bit. Increase your water intake, lower your red meat intake, and reduce foods made of refined white flour. Increase vegetable and fruit intake, include more herbs such as mint, oregano, thyme, sage, parsley, rosemary, and cilantro.
